Archived: Availl (Norwich)

Updated 10 July 2015

We carried out this inspection under Section 60 of the Health and Social Care Act 2008 as part of our regulatory functions. This inspection was planned to check whether the provider is meeting the legal requirements and regulations associated with the Health and Social Care Act 2008, to look at the overall quality of the service, and to provide a rating for the service under the Care Act 2014.

This inspection took place on 04 June 2015. The provider was given 48 hours’ notice because the location provides a domiciliary care service and the manager is sometimes out of the office supporting staff or visiting people who use the service and we needed to be sure that they would be in. The inspection was carried out by one inspector.

Before the inspection we looked at all of the information that we had about the agency. This included information from notifications received by us. A notification is information about important events which the provider is required to send to us by law.

During the inspection we visited the agency’s office, spoke with six people and two relatives. We also spoke with the registered manager and four care staff. We looked at five people’s care records and records in relation to the management of the service and the management of staff.

Updated 10 July 2015

Availl (Norwich) is registered to provide personal care to people who live in their own homes. There were 23 people using the service when we visited. The inspection took place on 04 June 2015 and we gave the provider 48-hours’ notice before we visited. This was to ensure that the registered manager was available to facilitate the inspection.

The last inspection was carried out on 10 June 2014 when we found the provider was meeting the requirements of the Health and Social Care Act 2008 (Regulated Activities) Regulations 2010 we assessed against.

There was a registered manager in post. A registered manager is a person who has registered with the Care Quality Commission (CQC) to manage the service. Like registered providers, they are ‘registered persons’. Registered persons have legal responsibility for meeting the requirements in the Health and Social Care Act 2008 and associated Regulations about how the service is run.

Staff were knowledgeable about reporting any abuse. There were a sufficient number of staff to provide care safely and recruitment procedures ensured that only suitable staff were employed. Risk assessments were in place and actions were taken to reduce identified risks. Arrangements were in place to ensure that people were supported and protected with the safe management of medicines.

Staff were generally supported and trained to do their job but additional training was needed for specific care needs to be fully met. Staff had not received training on the Mental Capacity Act 2005 and the Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards (DoLS). This legislation sets out how to proceed when people do not have capacity and what guidelines must be followed to ensure that peoples freedoms are not restricted.

The staff were in contact with a range of health care professionals to ensure that care and support was well coordinated. Risk assessments were in place to ensure that care and support could be safely provided.

People’s privacy and dignity were respected and their care and support was provided in a caring and a patient way.

A complaints procedure was in place and complaints had been responded to. People were able to raise concerns with the staff at any time.

The provider had quality assurance processes and procedures in place to monitor the quality and safety of people’s care. People and their relatives were able to make suggestions in relation to the support and care provided.